Illegal miner surfaces in Stilfontein with request for more food, tobacco

Another suspected illegal miner has surfaced at a shaft in Stilfontein, North West, bringing a letter requesting more food supplies and tobacco.

The miner was brought to the surface by a community-led rescue team, which picked up again amid the government's stalled efforts, on Tuesday, according to Newzroom Afrika.

The channel reported the man was weak and in need of medical support but only police were present to attend to him. He also had a letter from his fellow illegal miners who remain underground.

One of the rescuers who assisted with the operation read out the short note.

“Good morning, we hope you are well. We are pleading for BB [pipe tobacco] as well as food, which has run out,” Mzwandile Nkwai read.

The latest surfacing comes a day after six illegal miners surfaced through the Margaret Water Company shaft at the weekend, bringing the number of retrieved illegal miners in Stilfontein to 1,420 a month into Operation Vala Umgodi at the mine, including eight dead bodies. Thousands would not surface for fear of arrest.

On November 15 police minister Senzo Mchunu announced the establishment of a task team — led by North West community safety and transport MEC Wessels Morweng and including mining experts — to conduct a rescue operation. To date the rescue effort is yet to get under way amid various challenges faced by the task team.

TimesLIVE